McDaniel College students represent Portugal at Model European Union 2025

A delegation of eight students from McDaniel College traveled to the American University (AU) School of International Service (SIS) in Washington, D.C., Nov. 13-15 to participate in the Model European Union 2025 Simulation. The students were accompanied by Christianna N. Leahy, professor of Political Science and International Studies at McDaniel, who holds a bachelor’s degree from AU.

This was the 25th year that McDaniel participated in the Mid-Atlantic Model European Union Simulation, which engages students in discussions and debates that are both current and topical on the European Union (EU)’s agenda. About 100 students from 15 colleges and universities throughout the mid-Atlantic region participated. 

The McDaniel students represented Portugal and had the opportunity to meet the political affairs officer of the Embassy of Portugal to the United States along with Jamie Michael Kern, policy officer on energy at the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.

During the Simulation of the European Union, the students participated as members of the Councils Composed of Ministers of the Portuguese Government, including the European Council (EUCO), Transport, Telecommunications, and Energy (TTE) Council, Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council, European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), and European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET).

Micah Barberry, a senior Political Science major from Westminster, Maryland, won the award for the best member of the European Parliament Committee on Energy. Nishant Manda, a junior Political Science and Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies major from Bowie, Maryland, was elected as the chair of a Parliamentary Committee.

Other McDaniel students who participated included:

• Grayson Desalvio, junior Political Science major from Potomac, Maryland
• Mya Detzel, senior Political Science major from Damascus, Maryland
• Patrick Henry, first-year student from Arnold, Maryland
• Venice Hernandez, junior Political Science major from Bowie, Maryland
• Ta’nea Parks, junior Communication major from Baltimore
• Dimitri Raush-Gernet, junior Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science major from Mount Airy, Maryland

In addition to the Model European Union, McDaniel students are involved with the Model United Nations, Model Arab League, and the Maryland Student Legislature.

McDaniel also offers the National Security Fellows Program, which pairs with any program of study to provide McDaniel students with robust knowledge, skills, and experience in national security as well as the ability to specialize in an area of interest, such as interstate conflict, intra-state political violence, cybersecurity, ethics, and human rights.